


Lost and Found

by sariane



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Clint Needs a Hug, M/M, Phil Needs a Hug, Post-Episode: s01e22 Beginning of the End, faking your death is not a nice thing to do, fix-it with fluff, reunionating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-19
Updated: 2014-05-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 19:22:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1659629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sariane/pseuds/sariane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Stand down, he’s not going to kill me,” Phil sighed.</p><p>“You kidding me?” Barton said, his first words to Phil in over two years. “After everything he did, I’m definitely killing him.”</p><p>(Clint finds Phil.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost and Found

**Author's Note:**

> I really don’t know where this came from, I just needed this after that finale. 
> 
> **Spoilers for the entire first season of Agents of SHIELD, especially the finale.**
> 
> Warnings:  
> \- Discussion of Coulson’s death, trauma, and description of scarring.  
> \- Swearing.

“Excuse me, you can’t go in here – this area is restricted, off-limits—“

“Like hell it is.”

“—You need a lanyard before you can—“

“Just tell me where Coulson is, alright?”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. You may pose a threat—“

“After all he’s done, I _definitely_ pose a threat. Now, are you going to let me through, Koenig, or do I have to—?“

Phil opened the door to his room. Out in the hall, the two agents froze, Koenig still aiming a gun in warning at Clint Barton.

Barton stared at Coulson for a long moment, his eyes betraying anger and pain. He looked tired and run down, wearing a dirty black windbreaker with the SHIELD logo torn off, a quiver of arrows and his bow slung over his back. He looked like he’d been in a few scrapes over the past couple days.

Barton took a step forward, but Koenig held his ground.

“I’m sorry, Barton. At this time, you are not authorized to access this base,” Koenig said, glancing back at Phil.

“Stand down, Koenig, he’s not going to kill me,” Phil sighed. “He’s not HYDRA.” Barton was still staring at him.

“You kidding me?” Barton said, his first words to Phil in over two years. “After everything he did, I’m definitely killing him.”

Koenig rolled his eyes and holstered his gun, stepping aside. “Well, if he makes any suspicious moves, it’s on your head, Director,” he said to Coulson.

“He always is,” Phil sighed quietly, watching Koenig head down the hallway, turning a corner out of sight.

“Wow,” Barton said, crossing his arms. “’Director,’ huh?” Phil deflated a little, steeling himself for the blow.

“How did you find out?” he asked quietly.

“Well,” Barton said slowly, tapping his foot. “When Nat leaked everything online, there was mention of a special team in the records. Of course, within a few hours, all traces of it it had been wiped,” his foot stopped tapping. “Which is more than enough if you have one _Phillip J. Coulson_ on alert.”

“I can explain,” Phil said. “I do have reasons.”

“That’s bullshit,” Barton snapped. “I’ve been following your trail for days. Audrey says hi, by the way, haven’t seen her since the funeral.” He took a great, heaving breath and spat, “Did you get a video feed and watch it? Or did you disguise yourself and show up in person?”

“Do we have to do this here?” Phil asked, looking around the hallway pointedly. He was still wearing his pajamas, a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

“I don’t know, _Director Coulson_ , do I have access past this point?” Barton said angrily.

Before Phil could reply, Melinda May emerged from around the corner, hand on her gun. She froze when she saw Barton and let her hand fall to her side.

“Hello, Agent Barton,” she said, looking from him to Coulson. “I was wondering who was shouting.”

“May,” Barton acknowledged her with a nod. She nodded back and turned, leaving them alone.

Phil sighed. “Come on,” he said, turning back and holding open the door to his room. After a moment, Barton followed him in.

Phil closed the door behind them. He watched as Barton slung his quiver and bow over a chair. Phil moved towards his duffel bag of clothes – he hadn’t had time yet to unpack. Barton stopped him.

“Clint –“ Phil started.

“I want to see,” he said. “Unless that was a lie, too.”

Wordlessly, Phil pulled off his shirt, baring his chest. He threw it on his bed and stood there, watching Barton’s face carefully.

“I’m sorry I lied to you,” he said quietly as Barton stepped forward, squinting at the scar.

He reached out and ran his thumb over it gently, tracing where Loki’s scepter had pierced his chest. Phil could hardly feel it, the nerve endings in the scar tissue the only thing that hadn’t healed. Clint placed two hands on Phil’s shoulders and turned him around. Phil suppressed a shiver as Clint’s fingers traced the ragged scar on his back.

“I thought I was doing it for your own good – for everyone’s good. I thought Fury had an endgame I couldn’t see, I thought there were reasons…but that doesn’t excuse it.” Phil swallowed. “I should have told you. I shouldn’t have put you – or anyone – through that.”

“Damn right,” Clint said, his voice ragged. When Phil turned, he saw that Barton’s eyes were red, shining with emotion. Barton looked down and away, no longer able to bring himself to meet Phil’s eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Phil said. “And I know it’s not enough just to say it.”

“It’s good that you know that,” Barton said roughly. “I thought you were dead.”

“Barton,” Phil said softly, taking one of his hands. He felt the calluses on Barton’s palm and placed it on his chest, over the scar, over his heart. “I’m still here. It’s me. It’s the same old me.”

Clint’s fingers clenched on Phil’s chest. Phil could feel it pounding harder, as though Clint held his heart, scarred as it was.

“Fury gave me a miracle drug,” he said. “Good as new.”

“Is that the short version?” Clint asked, looking up with a weak smile on his face. Phil tried to return it.

Clint hesitantly raised a hand and cupped Phil’s chin. He stared into Phil’s eyes, looking for something. Phil stood still, heart beating like a drum under Barton’s hand, and let him take his time.

After a minute, Clint nodded. “It really is you,” he said shakily. “No tricks.”

“No tricks,” Phil repeated, hating himself for sounding so breathless.

Clint didn’t seem to notice, though, as he leaned forwards and pressed his lips to Phil’s in a gentle kiss. Closing his eyes, Phil kissed Clint, letting himself be pulled in closer and closer.

The moment was over too soon. Phil pulled away, resting his forehead against Clint’s.

“We shouldn’t,” he started, but Clint’s eyes snapped open.

“No,” Clint said quickly. “Not this time, Phil. You’re the director of SHIELD, I’m an Avenger. You aren’t running away from this with fraternization rules as an excuse.”

Phil swallowed. “Clint,” he said softly, his voice cracking over the name.

“If you don’t want this, fine,” Clint said, shaking his head. “But if you want this – if you’re running away from this when you _want this_ , just because you’re afraid –“

“I was afraid of losing you,” Phil admitted.

“Well, I lost you once,” Clint said. “Never doing that again.” Phil swallowed. He pulled away a little, still looking Clint in the eye.

“ _You_ didn’t lose anything. None of what happened was your fault,” he said.

“At least I found you in the end,” Clint said, a slow smile building on his face.

“Yes,” Phil said, pulling Clint into an embrace and holding him tight. “That you did.”

He turned to kiss Clint again, wishing he could make up for every one they’d missed. It had been two long years, he thought as he tangled his hands in Clint’s hair.

“I’m still mad at you, you know,” Clint groaned a few minutes later when he gently pushed Phil back onto the bed. He cocked his head to the side with a wicked smirk. “You owe me.”

“Yeah,” Phil smiled. “Guess I’ll have to figure out a way to make it up to you.”

_Fin._


End file.
